The need for secure electronic transactions involving a user and a transaction system such as an Internet based shopping site or an automatic teller machine (ATM) at a bank, has increased dramatically during recent years. A major question relating to secure transactions is that of authentication of the user to the system. That is, how to identify a user as being the owner of, e.g., a bank account from which the user is to withdraw money from when using an ATM.
A well-established method of authenticating users in such systems is that of providing the user with an electronically readable device containing information about the user and his account. Such cards are common and contain magnetically stored information. In order to allow the user to use his card in an ATM, the issuer (e.g. the bank) has provided the user with a secret code to be supplied to the ATM when using the card. The code is used to “unlock” the card for use by the user every time the user makes use of his card.
However, a drawback of such a method is that one and the same code is used every time a user authenticates with a system. This increases the risk of unauthorized use of the card if the user loses the card.
To this end, portable code-generating devices has been developed, in which a new code is generated each time it is used, based on personalizing information provided by the user, such as a personal PIN-code. Such devices are generally of two types. A first type is specifically developed gadgets with entering means such as a keyboard, a display, a processor for generating the code, etc. However, the problems with such devices are that they are complicated and expensive to manufacture. A second type relates to so called smart cards or integrated circuit card (ICC), i.e. cards provided with a chip. Such cards are preferably in the size of a credit card, and comprising a plastic substrate and an integrated chip with an electric interface surface arranged on one side of the card. However, in order to access the information and/or services on the card, a card reader is needed, and such devices has hitherto been expensive, complicated to use and/or big and difficult to bring along. Accordingly, there is a need for a truly portable card reader, which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and easy and convenient to use.
Cards of the above-mentioned type have many further possible applications in which similar problems and drawbacks regarding the accessing means are present.